Green synthesis and application of nanoscale zero-valent ironrectorite composite material for P-chlorophenol degradation via heterogeneous Fenton reaction

Abstract EN

A zero-valent iron/rectorite nanocomposite (NZVI/rectorite) was developed as a hetero-geneous H2O2 catalyst for P-chlorophenol degradation.

The physicochemical properties of NZVI/rectorite were characterized by various techniques including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis.

Results showed that NZVI sphere nanoparticles were successfully loaded on the rectorite surface with less aggregation and good dispersion.

Moreover, compared with acid-leached rectorite (30.91 m2/g), the NZVI/rectorite appeared to have larger surface area (50.75 m2/g).

In addition, the effects of pH, reaction time, initial P-chlorophenol concentration, catalyst amount, and H2O2 dosage on the P-chlorophenol degradation were systematically investigated.

Results showed that NZVI/rectorite presents better properties for the degradation and mineralization of P-chlorophenol compared with pristine NZVI due to the large surface area, low aggregation, and good dispersion of the former.

The degradation mechanisms of P-chlorophenol by NZVI/rectorite were adsorption and reduction coupled with a Fenton-like reaction.

Four successive runs of the sta-bility and regeneration study also showed that the NZVI/rectorite were unchanged even after 100% of P-chlorophenol degradation ratio.

This study has extended the application of NZVI/rectorite as environment function material for the removal of P-chlorophenol from the environment.